My son will be entering his first year of grad school this coming Fall. His tuition and fees will be fully paid by the department, plus he will be receiving a stipend (in the mid-$20k range) to be a teaching/research assistant. It says the stipend will have no taxes taken out but he could have tax liability on it. Since the money will be for him to live on, and not for tuition/fees, it appears it's taxable according to the IRS website. Is that correct? And if so, does he just receive untaxed income all year and then see what he owes at tax return time? Since they are not even taking out Social Security or Medicaire tax, it must be the same as work-study wages. Anyone with experience or knowlege of this?

Here's another perspective....my dh is a social services worker in the foster care division for our local government. He recently had a 5-yob assigned to him when the mother lost her parental rights (at least temporarily). The child is dying from some type of kidney ailment and needs a transplant. Bear with me, because there are a lot of details he can't tell me, plus I don't understand the requirements of being on an organ donor recipient list. But this child has recurring infections due to his (or her?) lack of dental hygiene and the teeth infection goes into his blood stream. They evidently worked with her for months to get her onboard with the type of daily care regiment he needs to gain the health necessary to receive a kidney. But for whatever reason she wouldn't cooperate so the state stepped in. The child is with a foster family and after a month is healthy enough to be on the active list and is now waiting for his kidney. And yes, all of this stems from dental hygiene. I know this is a very extreme case, but trust me, my dh sees daily the effects of parents who neglect the simplest of things. Prior to his being in social services, I was strongly against any government or agency dictating what parents should do. But his job has been an eye-opening experience for us. And it's government dollars that pay everything for kids receiving state, federal or local services. I'm not saying I agree with the brushing edict, but just sharing why government officials might think this way....

Thanks for all of the different perspectives! He has until April 15 to give his decision so I know he will wait and see what options he has. Emory is flying him down in February so he will at least get to escape the snow on his campus and experience a milder climate (hopefully)

My son has been accepted into the Chemistry grad program at Emory University for this coming year. It looks as if Emory is in an area called Druid Hills and near Decatur also. His schooling will be paid for and he'll receive a $22,000 stipend. He won't have a car so will need access to good public transportation. Can he live reasonably on that amount of money with or without a roommate? He has no debt or any bills to pay, other than current living expenses. During his undergrad years he was pretty frugal except for the weekly Subway when he was tired of dining hall food. What is MARTA like and is it practical for someone without a car? Are there reasonable places to live that have access to groceries and shopping? Any graduates of Emory Univ. that can offer their thoughts on the school? Lastly, he hates heat and humidity but also doesn't go outside much. He spends most of his time in a chemistry lab or on his computer. How many months of the year have sweltering heat and humidity? He's been in New England for 4 years and hasn't minded the cold and snow. He's also applied to Harvard & MIT and if either of those choose him, I think he'd take the snow over the heat! Appreciate any input....

My son has been accepted into the Chemistry grad program at Emory University for this coming year. It looks as if Emory is in an area called Druid Hills and near Decatur also. His schooling will be paid for and he'll receive a $22,000 stipend. He won't have a car so will need access to good public transportation. Can he live reasonably on that amount of money with or without a roommate? He has no debt or any bills to pay, other than current living expenses. During his undergrad years he was pretty frugal except for the weekly Subway when he was tired of dining hall food. What is MARTA like and is it practical for someone without a car? Are there reasonable places to live that have access to groceries and shopping? Any graduates of Emory Univ. that can offer their thoughts on the school? Lastly, he hates heat and humidity but also doesn't go outside much. He spends most of his time in a chemistry lab or on his computer. How many months of the year have sweltering heat and humidity? He's been in New England for 4 years and hasn't minded the cold and snow. He's also applied to Harvard & MIT and if either of those choose him, I think he'd take the snow over the heat! Appreciate any input....

Thanks Julie...I think you are correct that they really are trying to weed out (or include) out-of-state residents who are trying to convince them they are in-state. I guess I'm surprised that if I can still claim him on my taxes, that they allow him to be independent for this purpose. But it does specifically address that and says a student can be dependent in one place and independent in another. I was afraid it was a trick question and down the road he would regret his answer!

We live in VA and my 21yos is applying to UVA grad school. There is an in-state financial aid form that all undergrad and grad school applicants fill out to receive special aid from the state. He's confused (as I am) on how to approach the form. The form is not really addressing financial need or income as I assume the FAFSA does that. But it is to establish and determine state residency. It states the qualifications for declaring yourself a dependent of your parent's (which he is financially), or, it says that all grad students can declare themselves as independent. However, I don't know if there's an advantage to taking one route over the other. Does it matter? Anyone have experience with this?

We live in VA and my 21yos is applying to UVA grad school. There is an in-state financial aid form that all undergrad and grad school applicants fill out to receive special aid from the state. He's confused (as I am) on how to approach the form. The form is not really addressing financial need or income as I assume the FAFSA does that. But it is to establish and determine state residency. It states the qualifications for declaring yourself a dependent of your parent's (which he is financially), or, it says that all grad students can declare themselves as independent. However, I don't know if there's an advantage to taking one route over the other. Does it matter? Anyone have experience with this?

Hi OHGrandma, my dh and I are both from Hamilton and our families are still there. Do you live nearby? (missing Skyline and Gold Star!)

My 8yod has a terrible time in the spring and fall due to ragweed and pollen. (sinus headaches, fatigue, dark circles under eyes, nasal congestion with mouth breathing, etc) After three years of various prescription medications, I'm about to toss them all and go the natural route. I don't like keeping her on medications plus they provide minimal relief. I've found one called "Allergiclear" made by Nature's Remedies that seems to have good reviews and actually comes with instructions for children's dosage. Has anyone ever heard of this or have recommendations for any other natural allergy relief? She can swallow a pill but nasal sprays make her nauseous. I have a neti pot but there's no way I could get her to do it. I'm open for tried and true remedies!

There is no longer any need to stand in line at the Washington Monument. You can purchase tickets in advance with a particular day and time to go up. I think it's $1.50 per person plus a .50 per order service fee. Also keep in mind that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a neat place to visit, but it's not open on the weekends.

My husband just completed 5 yrs of grad school with Stafford loans along the way. They do not care what you use the money for, but the amount you are eligible for is based on your income and financial need as determined by your school. He couldn't just pick some random amount based on what we thought our needs were. The money went directly to the school and when his account had been paid in full he could request the credit as a check to him. Some schools may front some of it to you upfront to help pay for books since they know it's "good" money.

Littlebug42, my daughter will be a freshmen this year at St. Edwards. She made the decision to attend there without any of us being able to visit the school. She didn't decide until the last minute and by then, all of the housing was filled except for the female dorm in East Hall. On the campus map it looks like it's over past the athletic fields and all by itself. Is it a long walk to everything else on campus?

My son entered in the 9th grade. He is an Asperger's kid and not very social. He is happiest when he can sit at his computer all day and not have to interact too much with humans. He would likely have been a kid eaten up if he had spent his early days in public school because he marches to his own drummer. However, by the 9th grade he was developed enough and confident in his own skin to be comfortable in school. He wanted to go and take all AP classes, so he found like-minded students who were academic geeks as he was. For him, it was the perfect time to make the transition and it was really smooth.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/26/AR2009062603925.html This is the opening excerpt of the column: (from the 6/28 Washington Post Opinion section pertaining to the public confession by SC governor Mark Sanford "The Post asked former politicians and political experts what it takes for officials embroiled in scandals to recover their political viability. Below are contributions from Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Christine Todd Whitman, Ed Rogers, Linda Chavez, Douglas E. Schoen, Susan Wise Bauer, Lisa Schiffren and Lanny J. Davis."